![\"leadership-2122020_1920\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2019\/01\/leadership-2122020_1920-300x235.jpg\")
Today we honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to American society. Of the many things he accomplished, he may be best known for promotion of non-violence during\u00a0protests. And he certainly advocated love over hate.<\/p>\n
How are we doing living out his words? Our scorecard isn’t good.<\/p>\n
Maybe today we can pause and ask, “Are we choosing love over hate?”\u00a0We have a choice when it comes to our reactions when things don\u2019t go our way. While I can\u2019t control the press, celebrities and others who will choose to be hateful and critical, I can control my mouth. I can look to the Bible for guidance.<\/p>\n
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Psalm 19:14<\/span><\/p>\n Pause and mediate on this verse. Now, think about what you have said in your day-to-day conversations with friends and family. Have your words met the standard of\u00a0Psalm 19:14<\/span>?<\/p>\n 1 Peter 2:12<\/span>\u00a0tells us, \u201cKeep your conduct honorable.\u201d<\/p>\n Honorable conduct includes the words we say. Those words should not include name-calling, gloating, elitism, fear-mongering, hate, lying and disgust. Instead, we are to guard our hearts and mouths because words are powerful. Let\u2019s not be guilty of behaving in ways that are\u00a0disturbing. Let\u2019s resist the urge to retaliate against those who are mean-spirited. Matthew 5:44 tells us to bless those who curse us and pray for those who spitefully use us. Ultimately, we are to love our enemies. This is only possible with a transformed heart.<\/p>\n James 3 tells us that we can praise our Lord and Father, but also curse our brothers and sisters who have been made in God\u2019s likeness. The tongue is a fire, capable of consuming others. It must be tamed by the Holy Spirit in us. So before we\u00a0speak, let\u2019s check our words and ask the Lord to help us\u00a0bless others rather than curse them.<\/p>\n Martin Luther\u00a0King, Jr. said, \u201cLove is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.\u201d Now is the time to model love, humility, and civility toward one another\u2013whether you like or hate\u00a0the direction of our country.\u00a0Haven\u2019t we had enough verbal attacks and negative messaging? Have we forgotten that mercy triumphs over judgment?<\/p>\n We, the people, can behave differently. Let\u2019s start by controlling our tongue and actually treat each other with respect. Today, honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and God by choosing love over hate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today we honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to American society. Of the many things he accomplished, he may be best known for promotion of non-violence during\u00a0protests. And he certainly advocated love over hate. How are we doing living out his words? Our scorecard isn’t good. Maybe today we can…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[925],"tags":[4350,4352,2402,4351,2406],"class_list":["post-10622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mintle-mentions","tag-jr","tag-love-not-hate","tag-martin-luther-king","tag-mlk-day","tag-nonviolence"],"yoast_head":"\n\u00a0Frankly, I have been appalled at\u00a0what I\u00a0\u00a0hear and have observed in media and on social media. It doesn\u2019t reflect\u00a0Psalm 19:14<\/span>. The way we talk about our differences\u00a0is important because it expresses what is in our hearts.You don’t have not like someone, but should you hate them?<\/div>\n